The Family Business
by QueenAkani
Summary: "You must keep what we do a secret, Sakura-chan. It's a thankless job, but someone has to do it. And that's what we are here for." Non-massacre AU, with a Supernatural twist. Possible eventual ItaSaku.
1. Pilot

Heyo! Random plot bunny here that popped in my head. I've been a long time reader on here, with a few stories that I haven't actually finished (I'm so sorry). Story is T for now, however if the rating needs to be bumped up, please let me know. Things _might_ get a little gruesome.

And just a heads up, this is a non-massacre scenario. Because I like having everyone (mostly) alive and (mostly) happy. If this story is well-recieved, I may continue with more related one-shot type chapters. No definitive endgame pairing yet, but I _am_ leaning more towards ItaSaku, bc I've been hooked on that one lately. I apologize in advance for formatting issues or mistakes, I'm using the FFNet app to upload. Not beta'd.

Enjoy!

**xXx**

She hides it well enough. The sleepless nights, the constant paranoia, the ever-present bone-chilling fear. Those deceptively guileless verdant green eyes of hers have seen far, far more than a child of eleven should have. Instead of laughing and playing with other children her age, the little rosette has spent most of her childhood years being put through the paces. It started when she was barely six years old. Her Kaa-san had snapped, and tried to kill both herself and her Oto-san. Sakura remembers the ensuing fight quite vividly. She remembers the look of pure malice etched upon her mother's normally kind features, and the killing intent that had nearly suffocated her developing senses. She remembers the utterly broken look in her father's eyes as he ran his own wife through with an heirloom katana, and then the sheer terror coursing through both of them when even that failed to stop the rampage.

And then a man had kicked their front door down, chanting incantations that sounded like gibberish to her untrained ears. A vile black smoke had gurgled its way out of her mother's mouth, while her face had shifted and contorted in violent and terrifying ways. And then it had been over. The stranger had left with only a curt demand to salt and burn the body, and Haruno Sakura and Haruno Kizashi had been left to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. She still wears her mother's pendant to this day, the only reminder of her Kaa-san that she has left.

Sakura later learned it was a demonic possession. And apparently, both shinobi and civilian alike fall prey to it.

Kizashi, heartbroken and restless with a need to help others just as that stranger had helped himself and his child, had taken to roaming Japan, with Sakura in tow. The house they lived in on the outskirts of Konoha had been sold and left behind. Inn rooms, constant travel, less than honest ways of acquiring cash for their expenses, and working cases—this was now the father-daughter duo's new reality.

Since that day, her father had taken to learning everything he could about the supernatural, and implementing it with his own shinobi training, so that they may never be caught off guard again. And he had started preparing little Sakura as well, so she'd be able to protect herself. She never got the chance to attend the Ninja Academy like the other children her age. Instead, Kizashi himself was schooling the rosette in various fighting styles while they traveled, training her in handling various shinobi tools and drilling exorcism rites and incantations into her. He had shown Sakura how to meditate to expand her diminutive and still-developing chakra reserves. He had even gone so far as to develop a couple of experimental jutsu, the sole purpose of which was to aid in laying spirits to rest when burning the remains failed to do so. The hand signs for these jutsu were now second nature to the rosette and her weary father. Such was their life.

But Sakura was homesick. She missed her friends, the few she had made before leaving Konoha behind. She missed her Ino-chan something fierce. She ached for the sights and smells of the village she called home for such a short time. She missed not feeling so utterly alone, with only a red ribbon from Ino-chan tying her to Konoha and her sparse memories. She missed closing her eyes and falling into dreams that _didn't_ feature the screams and twisted corpses of those they had failed to save. She missed being _normal_.

She told her father so, after working a particularly gruesome case in a small, no-name village on the outskirts of Lightning Country. Dutifully, Sakura helped pack up the gasoline, salt, and the shovels still caked with fresh graveyard soil, and sealed them away in a trusty storage scroll. Then, they both seemingly vanished into the night, with henges still in place, and left the sleepy village—and one disturbed cemetery plot—behind.

**xXx**

Kizashi deliberated on his daughter's wishes for a week before coming up with a decision. He _knew_ just how terrible a father he was. Hell, even their fellow hunters and contacts had spared the man plenty of disapproving looks when they learned just how Kizashi was raising his daughter. The guilt he felt, however, paled in comparison to the sheer relief that came with insuring that his little Sakura-chan knew _exactly_ what was out there, and how to deal with it. Sakura was nowhere near ready to face s-class missing-nin, of course, but she was on-par with other veterans of their unique profession.

Perhaps it was time for them to finally go back. Surely, the world would be alright with two less hunters. Kizashi was bone-tired, and weary of chasing literal and figurative ghosts across the countryside. His little cherry blossom was homesick, desperately so, and visibly wilting under the stress of their lives. Yes, Kizashi was certain that abiding by his daughter's wishes and returning to Konohagakure was the right course of action for them. Upon stopping for the night and setting up camp, he told Sakura so. And seeing her little face light up with anticipation, driving the shadows from her eyes and returning that spark of life to them, only solidified his conviction.

_It was time to go home._

**xXx**

So congrats if you made it to the end! Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think.

And yes, Sakura-chan's father is a retired shinobi. But how many shinobi are actually trained for dealing with enemies they can't normally fight or see?

(PS, if this needs to be changed to a crossover category please tell me. I haven't set it as such because no characters from _Supernatural_ will be making an appearance. Just various monsters and lore, which I will try to keep relative to Japan.)

—QueenAkani


	2. Home Again

Another quick chapter. Tbh, I don't really know what I'm doing. :I

Oh and a disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Supernatural!

Enjoy.

**xXx**

"Keep quiet about what we've really been up to, Sakura-chan. Hunters are rarely well-received."

"Yes, Oto-chan."

The rosette dutifully nodded, understanding her father's words. They had narrowly avoided acquiring missing-nin status themselves during their travels. Sakura knew all too well the risks of exposing their way of life, even in their home town. The pair were a few days' walk from the village, trudging along the well-beaten path in the guise of civilians. They had seen one team of Konoha shinobi in passing, but had kept to themselves. They would not be dropping their specialized henges until the gates were in sight, and Kizashi was wary of drawing unwanted attention.

As they had journeyed home from the Land of Lightning, they had stumbled upon a few more cases, which had hindered their process. But neither Kizashi nor Sakura could ignore the silent suffering of the people they continued to save. The eleven-year-old vaguely wondered if they would stop hunting altogether, but Sakura had a feeling that wouldn't be the case.

Her father would never abandon those in need.

In Sakura's eyes, her father was a hero. Stoic and courageous, even in the face of certain death. And he had a way of talking to the people they helped; he knew just what to say to offer a small semblance of comfort, or motivation to keep on living. And when they were safely ensconced in an inn room, or their camp, a bit of the old Kizashi would shine through for a fleeting moment. Those little moments were ones Sakura truly treasured, because it allowed the pair to shed the outward personas of seasoned hunters. In those moments, they were just Sakura-chan and Oto-chan—father and daughter. And while not neck-deep in burial crypts, or ghoul's lairs, or bloody crime scenes, Kizashi doted upon his daughter. Spoiled her and tried his damnedest to show his little cherry blossom a lighter side of the life they lived.

The girl was more than a little blinded by hero worship. Sakura knew their way of life was _different_. It was just how they lived. Yes, she often found herself wishing for a normal life. But she didn't understand why others berated her father for taking her along. Oto-san had no choice. He would never have abandoned his only child. And even though she was a bright, intelligent girl, love and unshakeable faith had blinded her to her father's numerous faults. As far as Sakura was concerned, her father had never let her down. He still treated her to dango on her birthday, as long as circumstances allowed. He made sure she was clothed, fed, trained… _Prepared_. He indulged her with stories of her mother, of happier times long past. And, deep down, Sakura knew that Kaa-san's death _wasn't his fault_. She was not afraid of her Oto-san. He had never—_would never_—lay a hand on her.

**xXx**

The gates were almost in sight. Kizashi quietly gave the okay to drop their henges. Sakura did so, feeling lighter than she had in years upon returning to her natural appearance. Absentmindedly, she grasped a few stands of her hair, pulling them into view. The shock of pink was slightly disconcerting after wearing a muted brown variant for so long. She would have to wait until they could find a mirror before inspecting her appearance further.

Kizashi chuckled. "You still look like you, Sakura-chan."

The pinkette shifted her gaze to her father. She noted the shadows that seemed to linger behind his teal-colored eyes. His tanned skin was marred by age, betraying the stressful nature of their job. She could even pick out a few graying hairs among the mane of dull pink. He seemed to sag under some invisible weight with every step that brought them closer to Konoha.

"Are you okay?" she blurted.

Kizashi inclined his head to meet his daughter's speculative gaze. "I'm fine, love." He gave her a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Sakura's brow scrunched with disbelief. "I don't believe you."

A small sigh escaped him. "You don't need to worry about me, little one." He ruffled Sakura's short pink locks in a reassuring gesture, much to the pinkette's chagrin.

"Tou-chan!" Sakura waved her father's hand away impatiently, which earned her another chuckle. This time his smile seemed a tad brighter.

"Are you excited?" he asked.

"Of course! I wonder how much has changed." She added a small bounce to her step, pulling ahead of Kizashi. Then her steps faltered, as she remembered something.

"Do you… Do you think Ino-chan will remember me?" She stopped, suddenly gripped with fear of what could possibly await them upon arriving home.

Kizashi came to a stop beside his daughter, and placed a calming hand on her shoulder.

"Well, sweetheart, look at it this way," he started to say, "If she doesn't remember you, it shouldn't be too hard to rekindle your friendship. And you may even make some new ones while you're at it."

Sakura remained silent for a moment, considering his words. Then, she nodded. "Alright." Her expression tightened a bit, before she glanced ahead of them to the road they still had to traverse. "First things first, we have to actually _get_ there."

With another firmer nod, the rosette resumed walking. Her father quickly fell into step beside her.

"That's right. And I'll be right beside you every step of the way."

Kizashi's words were rewarded with a rare grin from his little cherry blossom.

**xXx**

Thanks for reading.

—QueenAkani


	3. A Team?

More setting the stage for the meat and grits of this verse, so to speak. Sorry for the short chapters. I've been cranking them out as the inspiration hits.

Without further ado, enjoy!

**xXx**

To say that the meeting with Hokage-sama had not gone as expected was an understatement. While Kizashi had not been expecting fanfair and parades upon their return, the amount of suspicion the pair were regarded with was...unusual. The old ex-jounin had certainly not expected himself and Sakura to be thoroughly interrogated, and then placed under temporary surveillance. It was jarring, after spending half a decade with only his daughter for company. And while the Yondaime Hokage was kind enough to help with procuring a place to stay, spending the last six months with their every move shadowed was unnerving, irritating, and felt like a slap in the face. But, the hunter had bit his tongue and bore the sentencing with all the grace he could muster.

They had gone lighter on Sakura. While she too was shadowed, she had been allowed to have her skills assessed by the academy senseis, and had been allowed to graduate along with the rest of her peers. After all, Minato-sama had seen the wisdom in allowing another talented shinobi into their fold. Much to the grizzled veteran's relief, the other genin of Sakura's age group had warmed up to the pinkette rather quickly. Her kind nature and willingness to bond—which had thankfully not been extinguished by their unorthodox profession—had seen to that. The Yamanaka heiress had been angry for a while at Sakura's absence, but the two girls had made their peace with each other and grew close once again. And their return had worked wonders for his daughter's happiness.

That alone made being home much more bearable. Seeing Sakura's cheerful personality rebound from that of a hardened child soldier that had seen too much was a balm to Kizashi's guilt-addled soul. It helped, little by little. But he still found himself missing Mebuki fiercely, and longing for his wife. He doubted that feeling would ever truly leave him. And while the pair's reassimilation into the village had gone as smoothly as he could have hoped, their inner demons still reared their ugly heads. Kizashi was also certain that their "strange" habits had been reported as well—lining every possible opening in their apartment with discreet but immoveable salt lines, painting demon-trapping sigils on each room's floor, then concealing them with carpet or throw rugs were simply habits that the father-daughter duo would not give up. And while Kizashi stressed keeping the nature of their lives a secret, both himself and Sakura would never risk another incident like the one that had claimed Mebuki's life. The traps they set up together could rival the ones found in the Uchiha compound, another detail that their ANBU jailers had undoubtedly passed along.

Time crawled on. Sakura-chan was placed on a team with Konoha's very own Copy Ninja Kakashi, which helped alleviate some of Kizashi's fears. Her teammates, Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke, would further reassure the hunter's mind. Being on a team with the Hokage's own son and the second Uchiha heir and prodigy would ensure Sakura's safety. And, as the young rosette did for everyone she considered precious to her, she would watch over her new teammates and protect them from the things they had no idea lurked in the shadows.

**xXx**

One month following the ending of their probation, the Hokage requested that Kizashi rejoin the active shinobi roster. Though he was reluctant to leave his daughter behind, the feeling of being tied down with clipped wings for half a year had led to the hunter acquiescing. The confinement chafed. Especially for ones accustomed to going wherever they pleased (or, more accurately, were needed). Sakura understood perfectly, and urged her father to do what he felt he needed. The twelve-year-old sympathized, for the same restlessness had been growing within her too.

As for the rosette, she found herself pining for more missions that would take them out of Konoha for a few days. Naruto and Sasuke felt the same, but for reasons far different than Sakura's. Her boys, and fellow rookie classmates, had no inkling of Sakura's true skillset. Upon her father's orders, she kept that side of her locked away. It… Bothered the pinkette, to a certain extent, but she knew she had to keep silent. Even from Ino. _No one must know_.

But all the careful fabrication and concealment couldn't hide everything. And Sasuke, while the boy did consider her and Naruto friends, always looked at her with a slight touch of...something. Sakura was afraid of accidentally exposing her past, and it made her a little wary of her Uchiha teammate. Kakashi-sensei was always preaching at them to look underneath the underneath, and not even the most carefully constructed mask could hide the small tells. Shadowed verdant irises, paranoia that seemed excessive even for a shinobi, and flinches at the smallest movement in the shadows tended to prompt her overprotective teammates into "mothering" their sole female member, and trying to figure out _just what was wrong with their Sakura-chan_.

But the pinkette soldiered on, weaving believable half-truths to explain her strange quirks. And soon enough, it was universally accepted that the pinkette had odd habits, and had obviously seen some shit that she just did not feel like disclosing to them.

"No matter!" Naruto would always declare. "Sakura-chan will tell us when she's ready, dattebayo!"

Sasuke would merely shrug and grunt out a "Hn." and cloak his concern with a surly disposition.

And the rosette would give her friends a small smile and think to herself, _If__ only I could_.

**xXx**

And thank you, Claudia Alexandria Zoldic, for your kind words! Hopefully this didn't disappoint. c:

I've also been researching more supernatural creatures native to Japan so that I can incorporate them into this story. Some will be quite humorous, while others not so much. Just a heads up, this story won't follow a definitive set-in-stone plot, either.

Thanks for reading!

—QueenAkani


	4. Snapshots

Hope you like!

**xXx**

Team Seven's first B-ranked mission could have gone _much_ smoother than it had, Sakura thought. Their client had lied about the true dangers, something that had almost proven fatal for the genin and their sensei. All the text books in the Academy couldn't have prepared the pinkette for the pain of almost losing another precious person. _She couldn't go through that again_. But Sasuke pulled through in the end. Sakura knew enough crude, basic first aid that she had been able to stabilize him. Plenty of rest and recuperation before their departure had gotten the Uchiha travel-ready. Now, they were back in Konoha, receiving necessary medical attention and taking a few days off before jumping back into mission work.

And Naruto… Sakura shuddered at the memory. She had felt an ominous, bloodthirsty chakra emanating from the blond while he and Sasuke had been trapped in Haku's ice prison. There was something strange about the self-proclaimed future Hokage. But Sakura could not fault Naruto for his secret, not when she had a vast hidden life of her own.

The rosette was on her way to visit Sasuke now. She felt she owed him that much. Sakura wasn't proud, but life as a hunter hadn't prepared her for standard shinobi missions at all. She knew how to fight on a more spiritual level, of course, but merely sparring with her Tou-san was levels away from an actual honest-to-Kami ninja battle. She was ashamed of her inaction, deeply so, and her guilt had prompted her into visiting the brooding Uchiha as often as she could. Upon approaching Sasuke's hospital room, Sakura shook off her lingering melancholia and pasted a smile onto her face before knocking.

A curt "enter!" had Sakura pushing the door open and granting herself entry.

"Ohayo, Sasuke-kun! I brought some fresh…" Her voice trailed off upon noticing the other visitor that occupied the room. He was now looking at Sakura, as if assessing Sasuke's new visitor. He was a boy that looked a few years older than herself and Sasuke. He was perched on a chair beside the latter's hospital bed. He had dark hair, much like Sasuke's, only styled longer and pulled into a low ponytail. The boy shared the same dark eyes, and bore stress lines on his pale countenance that made him seem older. The similar style of dress to Sasuke's confirmed him to be yet another member of the populous, but reclusive, Uchiha clan.

"I-I'm so sorry sir! I didn't realize you were still visiting. I'll leave you to it." Sakura executed a hasty bow, and was just about to duck back into the corridor when the elder Uchiha spoke.

"It's quite alright, Haruno-san. I merely wanted to check on my otouto." Sakura paused before civility kicked her in to responding.

"Otouto? Ah! You must be Sasuke-kun's Nii-san. It's nice to finally meet you." The rosette gave the elder Uchiha a small smile, and another quick bow.

"Likewise," he murmured quietly.

Sasuke decided to pipe up then. "Nii-san, this is my teammate, Haruno Sakura. Sakura, this is my brother, Uchiha Itachi."

Sasuke had sounded quite put out to the rosette. Deciding to make her intrusion quick, Sakura ambled closer to the bed and spared her teammate a quick once-over. "It looks like you're healing nicely. I'm glad." The relief was palpable in the twelve-year-old's voice. Some of the tenseness evaporated from her shoulders. As discreetly as possible with Sasuke's aniki watching, Sakura double checked the salt line on the window sill and made sure her ornery teammate was still wearing the rosary she had gotten him. To her dismay, Sasuke didn't appear to be wearing the prayer beads.

Forgetting Itachi's presence, Sakura fixed her teammate with a strong glare. "Sasuke! Why aren't you wearing them?"

The younger boy had the gall to look both sheepish and put out. "They make me look girly," he grumbled.

"They're for your protection, baka!"

"I don't see why I have to wear that stupid necklace, Sakura!"

"Uchiha Sasuke, trust me when I say it's better to be safe than sorry! Now, where are they?" Sakura was fuming, and a tad bit panicked.

Only years of clan etiquette training kept her surly teammate from rolling his eyes. He glanced back out the window while mumbling an answer. "They're in my pocket. I didn't lose them."

"Sasuke—"

"And I don't see _why_ you feel like we need to have _salt_ on the windows!" Sasuke looked back at the pinkette with annoyance written on his features. "All these weird things you make us do make _no_ sense!"

The Uchiha heir cleared his throat, reminding the genin of his presence and preventing yet another old argument from brewing over. Sakura froze upon the realization that Sasuke's aniki had overheard their conversation.

_Shit!_

The rosette turned to face Itachi once again, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. A light dusting of pink coated her cheeks.

"This isn't some weird ritual Uchiha-san, I promise! Salt is just purifying and can help protect a room from hostile spirits, and the rosaries—" Sakura abruptly clamped both hands over her mouth to stifle the stream of word vomit. An icy feeling gripped her heart. _Fuck!_ She had said _way_ too much. _Oto-san is going to_ kill _me!_ she quailed inwardly.

"Haruno-san." Itachi's deep timbre pulled the pinkette from her distressed thoughts. She found herself gazing into the older boy's calm, expressionless countenance. His unruffled demeanor served to soothe her frazzled nerves somewhat, but his next words had her relaxing further.

"You are hardly the first overtly-religious shinobi to enter Konoha's forces, and you won't be the last. Sometimes," Itachi's eyes seemed to cloud over with sadness for a moment, "it is the small things that offer a shinobi comfort. I will make sure Sasuke wears his rosary, if that will put your mind at rest."

Sasuke spared his brother an incredulous look, which was ignored by the heir and the rosette.

Sakura released the breath she didn't realize she had been holding. "Please, Uchiha-san! It would make me feel much better." She gave the older boy a much more jubilant smile, which Itachi returned with a small one of his own.

"Oh!" The girl paused, then started ruffling through her pockets in search of something. Upon finding the item she was looking for, she pulled it free and presented it to the elder Uchiha. "Please take this. I know how much Sasuke-kun adores and looks up to you, and it's only right you have some protection as well."

"Protection from _what?"_ Sasuke interjected.

Ignoring him, Sakura plowed on. "Thank you again for your kind words, Uchiha-san. May this rosary protect you." Sakura's right hand hovered over the simple necklace in an unfamiliar hand sign, while her head was bowed as if in prayer. Then, once completed with whatever it was she was doing, she once more insisted Itachi take them. The Uchiha heir decided to humor the girl, and accepted the gift with all the grace befitting his station. He fastened the beads around his neck, ignoring Sasuke's incredulous groan of, "You can't be serious, Nii-san!"

"Thank you, Haruno-san. You truly have a kind heart." Turning to Sasuke, he bid his otouto a farewell after insisting he humor his teammate. With a fond forehead poke, the shinobi then shunshined out of the hospital room, leaving the two genin alone.

"You're so _weird_, Sakura!" Sasuke groused. Said girl merely cuffed her teammate behind the ear before slinking bonelessly into the chair that had previously been occupied.

"You will thank me for it someday, Sasuke, but I pray you never have to."

**xXx**

Uh oh, a bit more of the truth is trying to come to light. How much longer can Sakura-chan keep hiding from her boys?

Another quick chapter, but I wanted to show a glimpse into the way this Team Seven interact with each other. And I couldn't help having Itachi make an appearance.

In this verse, I picture Sasuke's aniki with more of the kind, older brother personality that was evident in his early life before the massacre. Obviously, he isn't this way with _everyone_, but I figure he'd hold a soft spot for Sasuke and his teammates.

Anywho, thanks for reading!

—QueenAkani


End file.
